PUBLISHED ONOctober 20, 2017 9:00 AM
Beijing and Seoul among the 4 cities featured in a 30-minute special airing on October 20
HONG KONG, Oct. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- By 2050, the world's major cities will be crowded by six and a half billion people. City life comes with the draw of higher living standards and the economic boon of connectivity. Yet, as our urban centers bloat and sprawl, a fresh set of pressures are coming to bear. Will infrastructure implode under the weight of rapid urbanization? Will pollution choke industrial powerhouses, and inequality wrack communities? The challenges are daunting, but as we'll discover this month in CNN's Innovative Cities, people designed these problems and people can innovate their way out of them. In this 30-minute special, CNN profiles the cutting-edge projects that combat the pressures modern cities face as they grow at rapid rates.
Innovative Cities: smog-eating tower
Highlights from the program include:
Beijing, China
In the capital of China, artist and innovator Daan Roosegaarde has designed a structure with an aim to improve the city's air quality. Capable of cleaning 30,000 cubic meters of air a day, Roosegaarde's smog-eating tower has created a bubble of clean air in the center of the city. His invention is a model of innovation that inspires hope for a cleaner and better future.
Detroit, USA
In this American city in the midst of economic revival, homelessness remains a threat to low-income earners. Cass Community Social Services has launched its Tiny Homes project -- a rent-to-own scheme that allows economically vulnerable residents to live in small but modern and furnished standalone houses. The project was made possible by smart design and will hopefully lead to responsible home leadership and greater social inclusion.
Medellin, Colombia
Social inclusion is also a question in Medellin, Colombia, which is often cited as one of the world's most dangerous cities. Recent city transportation projects, including a cable car system, have brought rich and poor areas closer to one another. This integration has healed many of the city's wounds, but individual neighborhoods are also looking for something to call their own and be proud of. A project to open public library parks in poorer areas of the city may be just the solution to this issue.
Seoul, South Korea
Seoul wasn't ready yet to be a megacity fifty years ago. But within one generation, the population has exploded from two million to 10 million. In response to this incredible growth, the city has created a public transportation system that has garnered international acclaim and kept its residents on the move. But Seoul isn't stopping there. Putting pedestrians first is its latest goal as the city develops countless urban renewal projects that aim to get citizens out of their cars and onto their feet.
'Innovative Cities' microsite: https://money.cnn.com/technology/innovative-cities/
'Innovative Cities' trailer: https://cnn.it/2zmbTHh
Airtimes for 30-minute special: Hong Kong, Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Singapore and Taipei
Friday 20th October at 1730 HKT
Saturday 21st October at 2000 HKT
Sunday 22nd October at 0330 and 0830 HKT
Monday 23rd October at 1130 HKT
Wednesday 25th October at 0030 and 1630 HKT
About CNN International
CNN's portfolio of news and information services is available in seven different languages across all major TV, digital and mobile platforms reaching more than 450 million households around the globe. CNN International is the number one international TV news channel according to all major media surveys across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, the Asia Pacific region and Latin America and has a US presence which includes CNNgo. CNN Digital is a leading network for online news, mobile news and social media. CNN is at the forefront of digital innovation and continues to invest heavily in expanding its digital global footprint, with a suite of award-winning digital properties and a range of strategic content partnerships, commercialised through a strong data-driven understanding of audience behaviours. Over the years CNN has won multiple prestigious awards around the world for its journalism. In addition, around 1,000 hours of long-form series, documentaries and specials are produced every year by CNNI's non-news programming division, CNN Vision. CNN has 37 editorial offices and more than 1,100 affiliates worldwide through CNN Newsource. CNN International is part of Turner, a Time Warner company.
Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20171019/1970271-1
